of bridgeport



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

S. H. GRAY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO IVES & GRAY.

MACHINERY FOR SIZING- HAT-BODIES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,305, dated December 23, 1856.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SYLvEsTER H. GRAY. of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented cer` tain new and useful Improvements in Mal chines for F elting and Sizing Hat-Bodies; and I do hereby .declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a transverse vertical section through XV in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical projection of the side o-pposite the side shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 3 is an isometrical perspective view. l

The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

I construct and operate the machine to which I apply by improvement substantially in the same manner .as the machine for felt-ing and sizing hat-bodies, for which. or for certain improvements in which, Let ters Patent of the United States were `issued to me, bearing date the 3d day of J une 1856, a being the frame of the machine described in said Letters Patent; Z), the vibrating carriage carrying the endless bed 0,' and e the upper and d the lower presser plates.

The improvements for which I now desire to obtain Letters Patent may be described as follows:

1. When the hat-body is introduced into the machine through an oriice in the upper pressure plate e as in the machine above referred to, the back vibratory motion of tha1 vibratory carriage frequently jerks the Vhat-body backward from under the uppei` pressure plate e, and throws it out of the machine. To prevent this I construct the upper pressure plate e without any orifice and employ, to introduce the hat-body into the machine, a mouth-piece f attached to the frame a and standing above and inclining toward the endless-bed c. The hat-body is thrown upon the mouth-piece f, rolls down upon the endless bed e, and is retained in that position by the mouth-piece f, until the rotary motion of the endless-bed c carries it under the upper pressure plate c and forward through the machine. l

2. Instead also of delivering the hat-body at the rear end of the machine, when it has passed through between the upper pressure plate e and the endless bed c, as is the case in the machine heretofore patented by me, I

'be received by the operator.

now employ a guide 7L attached to the reall end of the vibrating carriage Z). The guide h receives the hat-body when it has passed through between the upper pressure plate c and the endless bed c, conducts it down upon the lower pressure plate Z and carries it for' ward on plate a, until the rotary motion of the endless bed c carries it forward between the endless bed c and the lower pressure plate a to the front of the machine, there to By this improvement the machine is rendered self feeding at the rear end.

3. Inasmuch as the hat-body becomes too cold to .be worked to advantage when the time consumed in its passage through the machine is so much increased, I construct the lower pressure plate a hollow, and of Liron or any suitable material to receive and contain steam or hot air, whereby the hatbody is kept hot in passing through between the lower pressure plate d and the endless bed c. The steam, or hot air, is introduced into the hollow pressure plate or steam chest CZ through the pipe z' Fig. 2 and suffered to escape, together with the hot-water from the condensation of the steam inside the steam chest- (l, through the pipe z". The

@pipes and c" are inserted in cylindrical chambers y' and j', Fig. 3, provided with suitable stuiing boxes to admit of the pipes z' and z" rising and falling in them, as the pressure plate or steam chestal in which the pipes are inserted and fastened is raised and lowered, and at the same time prevent the escape of the steam or hot air. A small pipe p, Fig. 3, provided with a suitable steam cock, is inserted in the chamber y through which the steam or hot air is introduced into the chamber and thence into the pressure plate d, and a similar small pipe p Fig. 3, also provided with a steam cock, is inserted in the chamber j', through which the steam and water, or hot air, are suffered to escape.

4. I also set the upper pressure plate e and the lower pressure plate CZ, at square distances, or at any required distances, from the endless bed c, and then cause them to approach toward and recede from the endless bed simultaneously, equally and by one operation. To do this, a frame 7c is supported at a convenient distance above the endless bed c by four upright posts Z Z attached to the frame of the machine A. Passing through and revolving in holes in either the endless bed c.

corner of the frame le, are tour perpendicular rods m m having threads cut on each end, extending to a suitable distance below The frame Ic, should be iXed far enough above, and the rods m. m should extend far enough below the endless bed e, to admit the upper and lower pressure plates to recede from the endless bedv as far as they will be required to recede therefrom. Four small pinions a a, with beveled cogs on their peripheries, are fastened on the upper ends of the rods m m, above the frame 7e, and engage six other small pinions P P, also having beveled cogs fastened on the ends of three small horizontal shafts Q g, properly supported by and revolving in six. pillow blocks r l fastened to the frame 7c. One end of one oi the horizontal shafts carries a band-wheel S, within reacho the operator, by turning which the horizontal' shaftsg g and the rods m m are caused to revolve simultaneously.

Two cross bars 0 o are attached to the upA per side of the upper pressure plate e, and two other cross bars o 0 are att-ached to the lower side of the lower pressure plate d. To the ends of these crossbars are attached adjustable nuts t t to receive the screws on the ends ofthe rolls m m. The screws, or threads, on the ends of the rods m m. At two o1c the opposite angles ot' the frame 7e are right hand screws, and at the other two opposite angles of the trame le, are left hand screws. The screws, or threads, on the lower ends of the rolls m, m at the corresponding angles, are t-he reverse of those on the upper ends.

The pressure plates e and Z are set at any required distance from the endless Ibed c by means of the adjustable nuts t t, and by the arrangement of right and lefthand screws on the rods m m, above described, the operator, by turning the band wheel S, in one direction causes the pressure plates to approach, and by turning it in the opposite direction, to recede from, the endless bed c, equally simultaneously and by one operation.

5. To support the endless bed e, prevent it from sagging and keep it in a straight line in its revolution on the under side of the vibrating carriage Z), I employ two rows of short friction rollers o e, Fig. 2, one row on each side of the vibrating carriage, revolving on studs 25 t', Fig. 2, fixed in the sides ofy the vibrating carriage. These friction rollers extend a short distance underneath the endless bed, on the under side of the vibrating carriage, but not so far as to interrupt the hat-body in its passage between the endless bed and the lower pressure plate.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent isl. Attaching the guide i1. to the rear end of the vibrating carriage b in the manner described for the purposes speciiied.

2. I claim the use of the adjustable steam chest d in combination with the vibrating carriage Z) and the revoiving endless bed c, on carriage b, made and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified. f

SYLVESTER H. GRAY.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS Ives, S. I. B. DIBBLE. 

